Archeology Division Responsibilities of Office

This summary is intended only as a supplement to the AD Bylaws, which all officers should read carefully and often.

All officers should pass along to their successors any records pertinent to conduct of that office (e.g., correspondence with members or with AAA headquarters concerning AD matters).  Every 6 years, records for each office will be boxed and archived.

President
Responsibilities center on leadership of the Section overall and serving as the principal ongoing link with the AAA officers and Executive Office.

1. Set major initiatives for the AD.

2. Represent the AD in AAA Section Assembly, and serve on AAA committees, reporting to the other members of the AD Executive Committee (ExCom) on issues of interest or items for action.

3. Solicit items for and set agenda for all AD ExCom meetings. One ExCom meeting is mandated in the By-laws, occurring prior to the AD Annual Business Meeting within the period of the annual AAA meetings. A second ExCom meeting is customarily held in conjunction with the Society for American Archaeology meetings in the spring. Agenda items are solicited from ExCom members; a draft agenda is sent to the ExCom in advance of meeting.

4. Set agenda for and chair the AD Annual Business Meeting.  Common components of the such an agenda are announcements, summarized reports of officers, old business, new business.

5. Chair the session devoted to presentation of the Distinguished Lecture in Archeology. This session customarily follows immediately on the close of the AD Annual Business Meeting.

6. With the Treasurer, monitor monthly budget reports sent from AAA headquarters, to assure an adequate fiscal situation.

7. Serve as a member of the ExCom; emphasize leadership of the AD and constructive coordination within the AAA.

8. Appoint subcommittees of the ExCom, as needed, and serve ex-officio on these.


9.  Serve as a member of the Gordon R. Willey Endowment Subcommittee to coordinate fund-raising and acknowledgment of contributors.


10. Represent the AD in communications appointing, terminating, and thanking individuals for service to the Section.

11. Prepare the Annual Report for submission to the AAA as required by AAA.

12. Serve as liaison with presidents of other archaeological societies.

President-Elect
Responsibilities center on assisting the current President and preparing for smooth transition of leadership.

1. Assist the President in duties outlined above, substituting for the President as needed.

2. Gain familiarity with AAA organization, personnel, and operating procedures, to best be ready to move forward with active programs upon becoming President.

3. Serve as Chair of the Willey Prize Committee. Winner(s) are decided at the spring meeting.  Notify the winner after that meeting, preferably by telephone.


4.  Serve as a member of the Gordon R. Willey Endowment Subcommittee to coordinate fund-raising and acknowledgment of contributors.

5. Coordinate the "AAA-AD Sponsored" session for the annual SAA meeting.

6. Serve as a member of the editorial subcommittee chaired by the Publications Director.

7. Serve as a member of the ExCom and provide a fund of ideas and balanced judgment.

Secretary
Responsibilities center on keeping minutes, working with the Nominations Committee and candidates, and providing the AD Section News column in AN.

1. Serve as Contributing Editor for AD Section News column in the Anthropology News. Copy is due at AAA headquarters approximately 6 weeks before publication of the issue in which an item is to appear. The AAA AN Editor provides current information on deadlines and formats.

2. Keep a file of AD news from AN during your tenure, to build a cumulative archive.  The file should be passed on from each outgoing Secretary to his/her successor, and archived every 6 years.

3. Serve as a member of the ExCom, and provide updated report of activities at each ExCom meeting. Such reports commonly include the results of nominations and elections and the status of reporting in the AN.

4. Take and prepare minutes from AD and ExCom meetings. Minutes of the fall and spring ExCom Meetings are published in the earliest possible AN issues following those meetings, in the Section News column.

5. Keep a cumulative file of past minutes, to be available for consultation at AD ExCom meetings. The file should be passed on from each outgoing Secretary to her/his successor, and archived every 6 years.

<>6.  Submit statements and biographical information for AD candidates for office and, as necessary, for AAA elections to the AAA in advance of their January deadline. Prepare ballot copy for AD elections to AAA in advance of their deadline.

7.  Report results of the balloting to candidates, by telephone (if possible for courtesy) and in writing (for the record).


8. Circulate a current roster of officers' names and contact information (addresses, telephone numbers, fax numbers, e-mail addresses), as well as those of members of the Nominations Committee, to the ExCom annually, after new officers are installed at the AAA meeting. Copy is also provided to AAA headquarters in the format they request by their fall deadline.

9. Monitor the AD Web page on a regular basis and send any modifications or corrections electronically as html files to AAA for posting.  Follow AAA Policy and Procedure for use of AAA Web Space.


10. Prepare certificates to be presented to the Distinguished Lecturer, Willey Prize winner(s), and Student Diversity Travel Grant winners to be signed by the President and framed for presentation to the honorees at the AAA meeting. The Secretary also is responsible for having the Kidder Award medal engraved with the honoree's name (the AAA has the medals).

Treasurer
Responsibilities center on keeping and monitoring fiscal records, submitting receipts, and arranging meeting-room reservations.

1. Keep fiscal records of the Section, submit a draft budget to the ExCom at the annual fall ExCom meeting, and submit the final budget to the AAA by June 30.

2. Make meeting-room reservations with the AAA for AD ExCom and AD Annual Business meetings (due at AAA headquarters at same spring deadline as submission for abstracts, etc. for annual meeting). Arrange with hotel, on site, for refreshments.  Make meeting-room reservations and similar hotel arrangements for the spring AD ExCom meeting at the SAA meeting.

3. With the President, monitor monthly budget reports sent from AAA headquarters, to assure an adequate fiscal situation.

4. Serve as a member of the ExCom, and provide an updated report of activities at each ExCom meeting. Such reports commonly involve membership and the budget for the Section.

<>5. Have a check drawn in advance for the honorarium of the Distinguished Lecturer, in time for presentation at the close of the lecture, during the annual meetings. Have a check drawn in advance for the award given to the Willey Prize winner, in time for presentation at the annual business meeting.  Have checks drawn, in advance, for the Student Diversity Travel Grants, to be presented at the annual business meeting.


6. Serve as a member of the Gordon R. Willey Endowment Subcommittee to coordinate fund-raising and acknowledgment of contributors.

7. Submit receipts for reimbursement by AAA headquarters. Receipts from any officer or other authorized person should be submitted only if authorized previously in the Section's budget, and all submissions should be channeled through the Treasurer.

Program Editor for Archeology
Responsibilities center on organizing the archaeological components of the AAA Annual Meeting, in conjunction with the AAA Program Chair, and arranging for the annual Distinguished Lecture in Archeology.

1. Arrange the Section's "invited" sessions, which can be either sessions for which other scholars have initiated plans or sessions instigated by the Program Editor for Archeology, who then identifies possible organizers. The number of invited sessions varies each year according to proportional section membership within the AAA overall.  Invited sessions are specially designated by the Section and are guaranteed representation on the program. They are also highlighted in the printed program.

2. Work with the AAA Program Chair, who will hold planning meetings for the overall program committee. Obligations to the AAA Program Chair include reviewing abstracts submitted for the meetings, both individual papers and proposals for symposia. Group individual volunteered papers into topical or areal sessions, and obtain a moderator.

3. In consultation with the ExCom, designate the annual Distinguished Lecturer in Archeology. Provide ranked names of potential such speakers at the fall ExCom meeting, and after review at that meeting, contact the speakers in order (in case the top-ranked individual declines).  Provide information on the Distinguished Lecturer to be published in the September issue of the AN.

4. Encourage development of the Distinguished Lecture for potential publication in the American Anthropologist.

5. Serve as a member of the ExCom, and provide updated report of activities at each ExCom meeting. Reports commonly include numbers and content of sessions in preparation or accomplished.

6. Draw on the ExCom for advice on possible topics, and on both the ExCom and the AAA Program Editor for resolution of program problems.

7. Work with the Publications Director and the ExCom to develop successful sessions into potential monographs for the AP3A series.

At-Large Members of Executive Committee
Responsibilities center on broadening the personnel available for proposing innovations and evaluating proposals from within and beyond the ExCom.

1. Serve on the ExCom, and provide an additional fund of ideas and balanced judgment.

2. Support the goals of the Section.

3. Evaluate and vote on actions proposed within the ExCom.

4. Serve as member of the editorial subcommittee chaired by the Publications Director.

5. Serve as member of the Willey Prize committee.

6. As necessary, serve on or chair special subcommittees for Section business.

Student Member of Executive Committee
Responsibilities center on broadening the personnel available for proposing innovations and evaluating proposals from within and beyond the ExCom.

1. Serve on the ExCom, and provide an additional fund of ideas and balanced judgment.

2. Support the goals of the Section.

3. Evaluate and vote on actions proposed within the ExCom.

4. Serve as member of the Willey Prize committee.

5. As necessary, serve on or chair special subcommittees for Section business.

6. Act as liaison to NASA (National Association of Student Anthropologists).

Publications Director
Responsibilities center on managing the serial publication Archeological Papers of the American Anthropological Association.

1. Serve as editor of the series of the Section. This includes management of the selection, editing, and production of each issue (annually, if all goes well).

2. Work with the ExCom to identify prospective manuscripts, often coming from AAA sessions. Present proposals for issues to the entire ExCom for their vote of approval; this should be done by email if necessary to speed up this process. Coordinate manuscript review by the ExCom, whose two at-Large Members and President-elect serve as the ad hoc editorial review committee.

3. Work with the volume author(s) or editor(s) to fulfill AP3A standards with regard to content and production.

4. Coordinate with AAA Publications Services and Director on all matters of style, editorial policy, printing contracts, and other issues. Keep AAA Publications Services apprised of new volumes for advertising purposes. Keep AD Treasurer apprised of budgetary matters with respect to AP3A.

5. Handle distribution of AD publications.

6. Serve as a member of the ExCom, and provide updated report of activities at each ExCom meeting.

Nominations Committee Chair
Responsibilities center on the selection of potential nominees for AD and AAA positions.

1.  Insure that the Nominations Committee has copies of by-laws and officers' duties, as well as clear instructions about their own duties and timetables.  The Nominations Committee's nominees for AD and AAA offices are presented at the spring ExCom meeting.

2.  The Nominations Committee Chair prepares a draft list for confidential circulation to other committee members, from which the Nominations Committee as a whole creates a ranked list of nominees for each office to be open in the coming election.  Lists of nominees are prepared for all AD positions up for election as well as AAA offices which are open to archaeologists.

3.  Announce the composition of the Nominations Committee in the fall in the AD Section News of the AN, soliciting submission of nominees for AD and AAA offices to the Nominations Committee by January 31 of the following year.  This will give the Nominations Committee time to add such nominees to their final list presented at the spring ExCom meeting.


4.  Submit the final confidential list to the AD ExCom at its spring meeting at the SAA Annual Meeting.  Other Nominations Committee members need not attend, but may do so.


5. The AD ExCom reviews the list at its spring meeting and has the authority to amend the lists (e.g., if a nominee has become an officer or nominee elsewhere, unbeknownst to the Nominations committee) and to rank the nominees. The Nominations Committee Chair follows the resultant ranked list in contacting candidates, in order, until acquiring the requisite number for each office.


6.  Inform prospective candidates for AD and AD-selected nominees for AAA offices of the probable extent of their duties.  Obtain written confirmation of their willingness to serve, along with biographical information, position statement, and a photograph (optional) for publication in the AN.  The AAA central office furnishes guidelines on the content and format for candidate information.


7.  Provide copies of current AD by-laws and AD and AAA descriptions of responsibilities of offices to those who agree to stand for election.

Nominations Committee
Responsibilities center on providing ranked lists of potential nominees for annual elections.  A three-year term.  Members of the committee other than the Chair are not voting members of the AD ExCom.

1.  Incorporate consideration of nominations submitted by AD members as well as those stemming from Nominations Committee members.  A call for public nominations placed by the AD Secretary in the AN during the late fall specifies a due date of January 31 for receipt of nominations by the Chair of the committee, which leaves six weeks or more for further consideration by the committee prior to the presentation of nominees at the spring (SAA) meeting.  The committee can begin its discussions before that time, but must ensure that public nominations, if any, are taken into account.

2.  When two candidates are required by the AD by-laws, the final ranked list should contain at least 12 names, in case individuals decline the nomination.  When only one candidate is required, the final ranked list should contain at least 8 names.  Do not contact any of the potential nominees.

3.  In preparing the lists, assess the individual's qualifications first, then consider geographic and topical balance and other considerations desirable on the resulting ExCom.

4.  Consider potential nominees' prior commitments, when known, such as holding (or standing for election to) substantial offices in other professional organizations or other bodies of the AAA.

5.  Check all nominees for AD offices against the current AD membership list.  The list of AD members in the current AAA Guide to Departments and on the AAA website is useful for initial list preparation.  Lack of AD membership does not necessarily preclude the nomination of an individual.

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updated 10/30/05